Hematogenous candidiasis in humans is a leading cause of nosocomial bloodstream infection in hospital patients. Despite the availability of various antifungal therapies, crude mortality has remained high, ranging from 36 to 90%. There is currently no antifungal vaccine approved for use in humans.
Candida albicans, the most common fungal pathogen of humans, has evolved several mechanisms to survive in the host. The complexity of C. albicans' antigens and of its host-invasion mechanisms has made it difficult to develop an effective vaccine. There have been some attempts to make multivalent vaccines from mixtures of two or more antigens.
Cell wall peptides have been used as carriers for the small glycan β-1,2-mannotriose. Although initially promising results have been seen, the synthesis of the glycopeptide is difficult and expensive. Other drawbacks of carbohydrate-based vaccines include difficulties in glycan synthesis, difficulties in glycan analysis and purification, and the low affinity of anti-carbohydrate antibodies as compared to that of anti-peptide or anti-protein antibodies. Unlike proteins and nucleic acids, there is no general synthetic route for carbohydrates.
There is an unfilled need for effective, economical vaccines against Candida. 